


Corpse Flower

by Pence



Series: The Archmage War [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Half-Siblings, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Familiars, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Sequel to Familiar, Slow Burn, This is set a few months after Familiar, Warlocks, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-17 21:27:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19963465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pence/pseuds/Pence
Summary: Gavin knew that Nines was still alive, having felt the brief brushes of emotion across their bond. There were times when he could feel the breath of a laugh ghost his cheek or smell the putrid potions the witch brewed as Gavin lay in bed. Sometimes, he’d catch the glint of Nines’ blue eyes in his mirror, like a trick of the light.Gavin needed Nines, in some way. While the intimacy they had shared so soon after the bond had been nice, it was like the high had gone away over time. No name could define their relationship. Lovers? Certainly not. Friends? Given Nines’ penchant for ghosting Gavin, probably not.Familiar. Soulmate without most of the usual emotional or sexual aspects. Whatever.Gavin just didn’t expect it to be so lonely.(Reworked Sequel to Familiar - the one where Gavin turns into a cat)





	Corpse Flower

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. So I want to apologize for making everyone wait for an update to this series. When I began the previous iteration of the sequel (Looking Glass), I felt like I began strong but then I started to dislike it. That version of the fic and the direction of my plotting didn't give me the world building opportunities that I needed.
> 
> I also feel like I want to stick to a singular perspective this fic since much of Familiar version focused on Nines. So after writing and stressing over this, I think I created something that really like.
> 
> To those who liked and waited for Looking Glass, I'm sorry. I hope that giving you this version of the sequel with more depth and opportunity to expand will be reward enough for your patience. 
> 
> Special thanks to [FallLover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallLover/pseuds/FallLover) for beta'ing this chapter. Please check them out. :-)
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

**Jan. 5th, 2025**

  
It was a mistake to come.

Gavin’s limbs felt stiff as he sat immobile in the car, knuckles white from the tight grip he had on the steering wheel. All was silent beyond the snores of his cooling engine and the winds licking at the windshield. Gavin could feel the creeping winter chill nibbling at the warmth within the vehicle, but it was the house before him that made shivers run up his spine. More accurately, it was the house’s owner.

Elijah Kamski. Fae royalty and Gavin’s half brother.

In the dead of night, the mansion slumbered, no light shining from its tall windows. By all accounts, it looked empty or abandoned. But, given his nature (or at least half of it), Gavin could tell that was far from the case.

The structure breathed, emitting magic so old and powerful that Gavin could feel static dance across his tongue. The air smelled dangerously sweet--much like the syrup that a carnivorous plant might excrete to entice their prey.

And Gavin was that prey.

The carnal desire to run and flee raged through his veins, causing sweat to bead across his brow. Turning the key and hightailing it back to the city would be easy. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. He continued to stare into the dark windows of the mansion. He was pretty sure they stared back.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

> [Notification]: You have 5 missed calls.
> 
> [Missed Call, 7:39 PM, Today] [Caller ID. Central Detroit Hospice Care]  
>  [Missed Call, 8:15 PM, Today] [Caller ID. Central Detroit Hospice Care]  
>  [Missed Call, 8:45 PM, Today] [Caller ID. Central Detroit Hospice Care]  
>  [Missed Call, 9:20 PM, Today] [Caller ID. Central Detroit Hospice Care]  
>  [Missed Call, 10:02 PM, Today] [Caller ID. Central Detroit Hospice Care]

Gavin swallowed against the lump in his throat, allowing his head to fall back against his headrest. God, he was such a fucking coward. The idea of calling back spread heat through his face and stung his eyes.

 _“It’s like an extension of your fucking arm, kid,”_ Seargent Anderson had once teased after backhanding Gavin’s hat off of his head. Given the odd hours he often served as a beat cop, he accepted the shit he got from Fowler and Anderson for messing around on his phone so much. But today, of all fucking days, he’d left it behind while on patrol.

Tina had pointed it a few hours into the shift, but he’d shrugged it off. _“What’s the worst that could happen?”_

What’s the worst that could happen. Fuck.

Knuckles rapping on the driver-side window startled Gavin from his stupor. Turning in his seat, Gavin paled as a pretty blonde woman smiled at him from outside. Despite the snow piled at the edges of the driveway, she was clad in a white sundress that left her shoulders exposed.

Gavin’s movements were jerky as he unbuckled his seatbelt and cracked open the door. Snow dusted the driveway and crunched softly beneath his boots. The woman smiled as she stepped back, folding her arms behind her back. The moonlight reflecting off the snow cast her in an ethereal, inhuman glow. She looked as otherworldly as Gavin half-suspected she really was.

“Lord Kamski is growing rather impatient waiting for you to enter,” the woman said, her voice gentle but still as sickeningly sweet as the magic covering the mansion. “He is entertaining guests at the moment, but would be honored if you joined the festivities.”

“Who the fu--Who are you?” Gavin asked, pulling the jacket of his uniform tighter around himself as a chill breeze threatened the back of his neck. The woman appeared unbothered.

“You may call me Chloe. I am Lord Kamski’s assistant.”

Gavin frowned, eyes narrowing as she offered him a small nod. “Aren’t you cold?”

Chloe’s smile fell into a thoughtful expression, looking down at herself and the snow beneath her heels. “Oh, I do suppose I am inappropriately dressed for these conditions. How funny.” She looked back up at him. “Now, shall we, Officer Reed?”

Without waiting for a reply, Chloe’s smile regrew on her lips before turning to the door. Gavin hesitated, discomfort churning his stomach as he noticed a lack of original footprints. How had she snuck up on his car? Had she just… materialized out of thin air?

“Officer?”

Gavin swallowed as he looked up to where she stood at the door, arms once more folded behind her back. With one last sigh, he forced himself to move and ascended the steps towards a now open door.

Stepping over the threshold, Gavin was hit by a blast of heat so sharp that it stung his face. Magic was the next wall to slam into him, spreading through his muscles and rustling his clothes. The dampness in the soles of his shoes faded. It was at once welcoming and startling.

The room they had stepped into appeared to be a waiting room of sorts, with chairs set off to the side and a large painting of Elijah Kamski himself. It was the sort of art that gave off the illusion of watching your every movement throughout the room.

Gavin hated it.

Shutting the door behind them and sealing away the chilly air, Chloe turned and walked to Gavin’s side. Her heels clicked against the polished floor before going silent as she waited for him at a particular door. “This way, Officer.”

While the lobby had been warm, humid heat was what greeted Gavin in the central portion of the house. It was that sort of heat that sat sticky on one’s face after a summer storm, uncomfortable and irritating. The sickly sweet smell that had permeated much of the mansion’s grounds was more pungent here, wrinkling Gavin’s nose as it assaulted his senses.

The odd thing about the almost tropical heat was how it contrasted with the clean, modern lines of the room’s furniture. Cool greys and blue, squares and angles made up much of the decor. Given that most of Gavin’s paycheck went to a shitty studio apartment and medical bills, he felt justifiably uncomfortable.

Chloe smiled politely as she led him deeper into the room, patiently accommodating his slow, nervous pace. A pool was set into the stone tile at his left, red-tinted waters rippling as someone had beat a recent, fast retreat. Gavin was prepared to continue following when the sound of a splash stopped Gavin in his place, turning his full attention to a new, violent ripple on the pool’s surface.

“What the fuck? Chloe, I think--?”

As he turned back towards the woman, Gavin startled backward with a yell. People mingled in groups around the once empty room, laughing and talking beneath a backdrop of music. The sudden noisiness of the room was disconcerting, ringing in his ears and scrambling his senses.

A dignified shout sounded as he slammed into a body. Spinning on his heel, Gavin’s heart plummeted into his stomach as he stared up into the bearded, furious face of a man a head taller than him. While his facial hair had been groomed and styled expertly, it was the short horns that poked out of his gelled coif that left Gavin speechless. That, and the pair of goat legs that remained exposed below a tailored blazer.

“You almost made me spill my drink!” the satyr chastised, stomping a cloven hoof as he glared Gavin down. “Watch where you’re walking!”

“S-sorry,” Gavin stuttered, lifting his hands as he took a step back. A hand on his hip stilled his retreat before pulling him flush to a different body.

“What’s a human doing here?” the owner of the body asked as their hand smoothed across Gavin’s stomach. Their voice slithered in a whisper against his ear, accent a thick Eastern European. “And an officer as well. Are you tonight’s entertainment, dear?”

Jerking his chin upward, Gavin swallowed his fear as he found his gaze meeting ruby-red eyes set in a face of milky, dead flesh. His attempt to dislodge the hold around his waist proved unsuccessful when his gaze settled upon the sharp-toothed smile of what he assumed was a vampire.

A fucking vampire.

“No, I’m wrong,” the vampire murmured, dipping their head closer to nose behind his ear. “You aren’t fully human… I smell magic in your blood-- old, delectable magic. Perhaps you’re tonight’s main course.”

As a long tongue licked along Gavin’s neck, a loud ‘Oi!’ sounded out through the crowd. And as the flat of the vampire’s tongue pressed to the pounding vein at his throat, a fist smashed into the vampire’s face.

The creature let out a pained howl as they released Gavin, covering their bleeding nose as they stumbled back, hissing. Blood trailed down their chin, dripping onto the pale fabric of their dress shirt. “Damn you, you brat! This was a rented tux!”

A gruff voice sounded at Gavin’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah! You know the fucking Peace Accords! Piss off back to Romania you blood-sucking asshole!”

Gavin swayed on his feet as he looked from the vampire to a grungy looking man around his age, dressed terribly in a hoodie and dark beanie. Light, unkempt facial hair dusted his chin, and the joint tucked into his beanie truly sealed the ‘I really don’t belong at this party’ look he was going for.

A boy no more than eleven years old stood at the stranger’s side, staring up at Gavin curiously. Aside from the odd mismatched eyes and the fact that a kid was allowed at a party that had fucking vampire predators, something set Gavin on edge. Familiar, thrumming magic radiated off the kid--one that Gavin could feel his own responding to. The smell of mahogany and linen lashed against his own reaching, hungry power.

Life magic.

“Leo. He’s about to pass out,” the child commented, watching as Gavin’s knees gave out from under him.

“Ah, shit!” Leo cursed, rushing over to catch Gavin before he hit the ground. “Fucking shit. Markus, help me get him to the balcony.”

As Gavin was dragged through the crowd by a huffing, puffing Leo and a pair of small hands on his elbow, he tried to clear his senses and control his breathing. The whispers of ‘human’ traveled after the trio through their struggle to the door, eyes burning into his shoulder blades.

They were outside again, and that awful heat and drowning magic was gone. His lungs burned as he took in a greedy gulp of cold air, savoring the chill on his face. Allowing himself to be deposited on a stone bench, Gavin leaned forward to put his face between his knees, continuing to try to catch is breath.

Snow crunched as he was approached, before a small hand rubbed against his back. “You’re gonna be okay,” the child, Markus, soothed, smiling as Gavin’s shoulders relaxed. A calming warmth tickled down his spine from the small circle Marus draw into his back, breathing air into his lungs while it compelled his heart to a calmer beat.

“Dad’s gonna be pissed if he hears you’re using your magic,” Leo commented from the other end of the balcony. The click of a lighter sounded as he lit the end of his joint.

“Shut up, Leo,” Markus huffed, extracting his hand from Gavin’s back as he took a seat at his side on the bench. “He’ll be madder at you for doing drugs during a business engagement.”

“It’s legal shit,” Leo scoffed before taking a drag on the joint. His gaze returned to Gavin as the officer straightened up. “You doing okay, buddy?”

“The room was empty,” Gavin muttered, dragging a hand across his face as he smoothed back his brow. “The lights were off outside and… What the fuck?”

“That’s what I said,” Leo cheered, leaning against the stone railing of the balcony as he smirked. “I always hated coming here as a kid. This place ain’t fuckin’ normal.”

“Leo, you’re a sorcerer,” Markus huffed, resting his hands on his knees as he glared at the smoking man. “Our dad is the most powerful mortal in the Midwest. Are you really using this party as your definition of bizarre?”

“I second him,” Gavin muttered, unable to hide his smirk as Leo laughed. Even Markus broke into a small smile at the officer’s side. “Thanks, by the way. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. It was too much.”

Leo nodded as he took another drag of his joint. Markus laid a hand to Gavin’s elbow, drawing his attention to the odd eyed boy. “Why are you here? Humans aren’t usually invi--Oh. You’re not human, not fully.”

Markus’ eyes narrowed, following the edges of an aura that Gavin had never been able to see. He imagined it wasn’t anything impressive, given his human blood, but it was nice to know that it existed. There were some creatures, like vampires, who had no auras. No life, no love. That Gavin had his… well. It said a lot of things.

“I came to see Kamski,” Gavin muttered, glancing up to the soft layer of snow that coated the balcony. He would have questioned why he did not feel the terrible midnight chill had he been sitting anywhere else but Elijah’s home.

“I think he’s meeting with our father,” Markus pondered, glancing to Leo for confirmation. The sorcerer nodded.

“Yeah. Saw them heading off to the drawing-room with Lady Amanda,” Leo called, voice dripping with disdain at the mention of the third person.

“Think you could show me where that is?” Gavin asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“No need.”

Gavin startled with a yell as a deep voice murmured against his ear. Stumbled forward, Gavin slipped on the snow of the balcony, and barely managed to keep himself upright as he turned.

Elijah Kamski lounged where Markus had previously been sitting, arm cast over the back of the bench. Silk robes draped off his thin frame, exposing far more of his chest than one should while sitting out on an icy balcony. His hair was tucked up into a loose bun, cast black in the midnight shadows.

Gavin swallowed thickly as he glanced over his shoulder, finding that Leo had also vanished from sight. A primal urge to run chased acid up his throat as he glanced back to Elijah’s smile. The brightness of his eyes was… disconcerting.

“Where did they go?” Gavin asked, voice betraying his frayed nerves.

Elijah waved a lazy hand, crossing one of his legs over the other. The thin fabric of his robe slid up his thigh, adding to Gavin’s discomfort. “They’re still here and there. Much like the glamor on my house, I thought it best to hide this conversation from prying ears. Some of my guests are less trustworthy than I prefer, but you know the saying: Keep your friends close.”

“Seems stupid to keep people around who are only here to exploit you,” Gavin muttered, cheeks flushing as Elijah’s smile grew almost affectionate. If only his eyes weren’t so icy, Gavin would have believed it.

“They play their games, and I play mine,” Elijah shrugged, before drumming his fingers on the back of the bench. “Now, speaking of games: what brought you to me, little brother?”

“Mom,” Gavin muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets to keep from fiddling with his zipper. “I mean, my mom. Not… Just… She’s dying, and I need your help to save her.”

Elijah’s brows rose, pulling his arm away from the bench as he leaned forward. “Humans die all the time. What’s so special about this one?”

Gavin’s eyes widened as anger warmed his cheeks. “She’s my mom! Why wouldn’t I want to save her?!”

“She’s mortal,” Elijah shrugged, lacing his fingers together on his lap. “You have the potential to be so much more, yet you continue to putter around in your mortal life with your mortal whims and values. Her death is a blessing in disguise.”

Gavin glared, teeth grinding together as he choked down his yell. Kamski hadn’t denied him yet, so there was no need to ruin his chances.

“Can you help her or not?”

“It depends on what you have to offer,” Elijah hummed, looking down to his knuckles as a thoughtful expression colored his face.

Gavin’s stomach dropped. “I… I don’t have a lot of money.”

“I don’t want your money,” Elijah scoffed, unfolding his legs to stand. Smoothing out the front of his robe, the fae glanced over at him and waited patiently as Gavin wracked his brain.

“I-I…”

“What about you?"

Gavin tensed, eyes widening as he stared at Elijah as if he’d grown an additional head. “Me?”

“It’s about time I took another apprentice and you have the makings for greatness given our shared blood,” Elijah pondered, stepping closer. Gavin fought the urge to step back, forcing himself to remain frozen to his spot. “I could sense your presence from the end of my drive, so it’s obvious you have little training.”

It was an offer that seemed too good to be true on paper, but became enticing when murmured from Elijah’s lips. The sickly, honeyed scent returned. Despite the obvious warning signs, it was… tempting.

“I have a job,” Gavin muttered, flinching as Elijah stepped into his personal space. “I like my job.”

“A mortal job,” Elijah scoffed, reaching up to smooth a thumb across the shiny badge pinned to Gavin’s chest. “Don’t you want to learn to control it? To harness it? I can teach you and restore your mother’s health if you just say ‘yes’.”

Gavin caught Elijah’s wrist before his jaw could be cupped, glaring up at the smirking fae. “What’s the catch?”

Something akin to pride flickered in Elijah’s expression as he allowed himself to be held in a vice. It probably wasn’t often that anyone dared touch him, let alone do so harsh enough to cause even the mildest of pain. Gavin knew enough not to trust a snake so obvious about it, and his grip wasn’t weak as a result.

“You pledge yourself to me in perpetuity.”

Gavin’s brows furrowed. “What like… Forever? Like a fucking blood oath? I gotta do what you say and shit?”

Elijah smiled. “You live here, you die here. Those are my conditions.”

“And my mother--?”

“Will be safe, happy, and alive, all thanks to your sacrifice. A life for a life, if you will. But I warn you,” Elijah continued,”You will never be allowed to see her again.” He leaned down slightly to stare levelly with Gavin’s incredulous gaze. “Your mortal life will become dust when you join me at my side.”

“Fuck you.”

Elijah laughed loudly when he was shoved away, robes fluttering as he caught himself in the stumble. “Does she truly mean that little to y--?”

Elijah’s laughter was silenced as Gavin lurched forward, fist raised with every intention to beat his half-brother into a pulp. He didn’t get the chance as Elijah’s hand shot out and caught him around the throat, halting his motion and making him gag.

The good humor that had colored Elijah’s expression melted away as he lifted Gavin onto his toes, glaring into the officer’s face. “Is this truly your decision?”

Gavin’s toes scrambled against the balcony, nails clawing at Elijah’s wrist. When it became clear that he wasn’t getting out of this without answering, Gavin’s struggled ceased and he met Elijah’s glare. “Sh-she… would.... h-have wanted… m-me to l-live my … my own life.”

Elijah watched his brother choke and wheeze, brows furrowing. “You are a fool.” He let go.

Dropped back to the ground, Gavin stumbled to his knees and choked down a lungful of air greedily. He wasn’t able to enjoy being able to breathe for long. Elijah grabbed his face with bony fingers, and Gavin shouted, only to be silenced when Elijah pressed a kiss to his forehead.

It was a short, unfriendly kiss that ended as soon as it had begun. “My offer for aid will stand for however much longer you have to live,” Elijah whispered, smirking. “But the price will always be the same. Sorry about your mom.”

Gavin glared. “Fuck you.”

“Well, fuck you too then,” Leo scoffed from behind Gavin. Glancing back to the sorcerer, Gavin blinked in confusion before turning back to his brother. Who… was gone? He looked around. The scene was back to what it had been before Elijah appeared. He huffed and rubbed his forehead. Could still feel the creepy fucker’s fish lips, even as he tried to work through how fucked over this whole situation was.

He should have expected that.

“...Fuck.”

\---

**Jan. 5th, 2038**

Today, 13 years later

_Eliza Ann Reed_  
_Feb. 28th 1985 - Jan. 5th, 2025_  
_Mother, Sister, Friend_

Gavin’s fingers stung where they were buried in his pockets, having spent the better part of 10 minutes tending to the plaque. The snow was piled densely around the graveyard, building against worn tombstones and masking cherubim angels carved into opulent mausoleums.

The chilly breeze fluttered the careful arrangement of flowers he’d tucked into the snow, contrasting the white with lively colors. Carnations, roses, and a garland of smaller flowers. His mom would have hated them, but it wasn’t like she was around to talk his ear off about the meaning or purpose particular flowers.

Snow crunched as Leo joined him at his side, beanie pulled down over his ears as he hid his mouth behind a thick, knitted scarf. Despite their shared, loud natures, neither man spoke as they stared down at the plaque that slowly dusted over again with snow.

“Chen just got here,” Leo finally muttered, tugging down enough of his scarf to expose his chapped lips. Extracting a cigarette from his pocket, he placed it between his teeth. Gavin caught his wrist as he began to remove the lighter from his pocket.

“You smoke near my mom’s grave and I’ll bury you next to her,” Gavin muttered, tearing his eyes away from her name to glare at Leo. Leo stared back, unimpressed.

Ripping his arm away with a huff, Leo tucked the cigarette beneath the edge of his beanie before stuffing his hands back into his coat’s pockets. Silence returned as they both glared at Eliza’s grave.

Leo was the first to deflate. “Sorry about your mom.”

Gavin snorted, pulling his jacket closer around himself. “Whatever, man. That was a long time ago.”

“It still sucks,” Leo replied, scratching his thigh through the lining of his pocket. “Kamski was a prick.”

Gavin snorted again, albeit with a slight smile. “He’s still a prick.”

An awkward settled between the pair as they stood in the cold, watching Eliza’s grave slowly disappear behind the soft snowfall. Leo let out an audible breath as he hugged himself.

“You okay?” Gavin asked, glancing to Leo with a frown.

“It’s selfish,” Leo shrugged, curling his fingers into the arms of his coat.

“Go for it,” Gavin urged, stuffing his hand into his pocket.

“I just… I’m jealous,” Leo shrugged, unfolding his arms to scratch at the edge of his beanie. When Gavid said nothing, he continued. “When Dad… when my father was killed, I never got the chance to… say goodbye, yknow? Near the end we… we weren’t close. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps but I just wanted to, y’know, do my own thing.

“And then… he was murdered,” Leo whispered, brows furrowing as he stared at Eliza’s plaque. “The whole ‘Archmage’ title isn’t tied to bloodline but I still had Carl’s followers lining up at my door, rallying behind a campaign I had no intention of running. Everyone knew who killed my dad and so many people preferred a burnout, shitty asshole over a murderous bitch. No one was surprised when she sent her cronies after my ass...”

“Sorry man,” Gavin muttered, unsure how to reply. This wasn’t new information to him, considering he’d been assigned to watch over Leo until proper accommodations and protections could be provided. But hearing the sorcerer’s thought about the matter… That was new.

Leo smirked, reaching up to wipe his eyes with his sleeve. “Whatever. I just… I wish I got to say goodbye. I wish I had a place to go to just… pay my respects, even if he despised me at the end.”

“He didn’t despise you,” Gavin assured, bumping his shoulder Leo’s and earning a laugh.

“I hope not,” Leo whispered before clearing his throat. “C’mon, lets not keep Chen waiting longer than we have to.”

Gavin turned away from the grave, jerking his head toward the pathway at the end of the row. Leo followed at his heel, lighting his cigarette when they were a respectful distance away. The silence was more comfortable.

A car waited on the street past the metal archway of the graveyard, Tina watching them from within. She offered Gavin a nod and wave.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Gavin muttered as Leo joined him at his side, accepting the half-burned cigarette. The smoke scraped pleasantly against the back of his throat as he inhaled, eyes falling shut.

Leo’s shrug went unseen. “Not like I had much of a choice, what with you babysitting my sorry ass.”

“I’m not your babysitter,” Gavin said with a huff, scattering cigarette ash to the snowy sidewalk with a gentle flick. “It’s police protection.”

“Tomato, Tuhmahto,” Leo conceded, taking back the cigarette to finish off the remaining nub. “I’d have come even if I didn’t have a crazy bitch vying for my head. You’re alright for a grumpy bastard.”

Rolling his eyes, Gavin abandoned a chuckling Leo in favor of the car waiting at the curb. A pleasant warmth soaked into Gavin upon ducking through the door. “Hey, nasty bitch. Thanks for the ride.”

“Couldn’t let my favorite goblin freeze in the snow,” Tina smirked, leaning forward to turn the radio down into a whisper. “Besides, it’s my day off and you promised drinks.”

Gavin snorted as her shoulder knocked into his own before allowing himself to sink into the seat. “Fuck, do I need one. Why’s this day gotta fall so close to the full moon? I feel like someone’s digging around in my guts. Who’s designated driver?”

Tina snorted, glancing over her shoulder as Leo rapped at the back window with his knuckles. “Well, we could either force your ward to do it or ask Connor. He said Hank would drop him off at Jimmy’s on his way home.”

A burst of cold batted against the car’s heater as Leo climbed into the backseat, ending the feud with a click of the door. “Sup, Chen.”

Gavin interrupted Tina’s returned greeting, frowning up at her from his dramatically low slouch. “Why’s Connor coming? Normally he sticks to Anderson like glue this close to ‘his time of the month’.”

“‘Cause I invited him when he asked about you,” Tina smirked, clicking her fingers at Leo until he buckled himself in with a grumble. “Didn’t really expect him to accept, but the Lieutenant seemed encouraging. Apparently, Connor’s been acting off lately, worried about this war thing and his family.”

Gavin let out a grunt of understanding as Tina pulled away from the curb, merging into the mild traffic of mid-afternoon. It had been almost two months since his escapades as a feline had ended, during which he’d barely been in contact with Nines. Even now that Gavin was Nines’ ‘familiar’, or whatever the fuck their bond was called.

Letting out a sigh through his nose, Gavin’s knees brushed the console as he raised his arm, glaring at the nine-pointed star branded to the back of his hand. Fucking Nines.

The distance wasn’t intended from his end. At least he tried. As much as Gavin was glued to his phone, Nines had barely answered his calls. Or his texts. Or the few late-night beatings he’d dealt to the witch’s front door. Nothing.

“He’s always been like that,” Connor had assured him with a strained smile during one of Gavin’s breakroom laments. “Distant. Especially when he’s obsessing over a project.”

Gavin, despite his weaknesses both human and fae, was a good detective. A detective who knew when someone knew more than they were letting on. There were signs, of course, both visually and in the inflection of tone. Twitches and tells.

When Gavin pressed for more information on the project, Connor had glanced away and muttered some excuse about a backlog of paperwork in his retreat. After that awkward conversation, Connor had avoided anything to do with his brother as he grew more immersed in his work. Too immersed.

Gavin was frustrated. Not in a sexual or emotional sort of way, exactly. To suddenly have his soul bound to Nines’ and feel his magic tethered to another… It had been like finally being able to breathe. All through his life, his magic had remained uncontrolled. As a half-blood, he had the curse of fae magic, but no written manual for controlling it.

How many coffee makers had he destroyed before discovering the french press?

But after the bonding… It was as if someone had tied the thrashing limbs of his magic to the earth. The power still surged through him, responding to his emotions while threatening release at his fingertips. But there were no shattered televisions or blooming flowers.

It was refreshing, but worrisome.

Gavin knew that Nines was still alive, having felt the brief brushes of emotion across their bond. There were times when he could feel the breath of a laugh ghost his cheek or smell the putrid potions the witch brewed as Gavin lay in bed. Sometimes, he’d catch the glint of Nines’ blue eyes in his mirror, like a trick of the light.

Gavin needed Nines, in some way. While the intimacy they had shared so soon after the bond had been nice, it was like the high had gone away over time. No name could define their relationship. Lovers? Certainly not. Friends? Given Nines’ penchant for ghosting Gavin, probably not.

Familiar. Soulmate without most of the usual emotional or sexual aspects. Whatever.

Gavin just didn’t expect it to be so lonely.

Tina and Leo chatted amicably as they drove, exchanging jokes and jabs. Gavin could feel the furtive glances Tina sent his way every now and then, tinged with concern. As depressing as this day was, it had become a tradition between Tina and Gavin (and sometimes Leo) to celebrate by getting drunk off their asses.

The last and only time Leo tried introducing drugs into the mix, Tina had handcuffed the man while reading him his Miranda rights in the middle of his apartment. By the time Leo had been released after a drunken, impromptu intervention, the tiny baggy of red ice had been transformed into dried rose petals.

Gavin sighed and shimmied back into a proper sitting position as Tina parked at the side of the road. Leo groaned from the back.

“Ah, man. Jimmy’s again?” Leo complained, leaning as far forward as his seatbelt would allow. “Why not the Eden Club? This place is fucking swimming in cops.”

“You’re in a fucking vehicle with cops,” Gavin replied, suppressing his grin as Leo kicked the back of his seat. The action earned an ‘Oi!’ and a smack from Tina. “Besides, I hate Eden. The place is swimming with supernaturals and they stiff you on drinks.”

Turning off the vehicle, Tina turned in her seat to grin at Leo. “Also, Gavin’s got a boyfriend now. Can’t go getting his dick wet when he’s in loooove.”

Leo and Tina’s snickering only caused Gavin’s blush to deepen, earning them both a glare as he shoved open the door of the car. “He’s not… I’m not… Fuck you both.” Fuck, he didn’t know what they were but it sure as fuck wasn’t his friends’ place to define shit.

Gavin grimaced as he stepped back out into the cold and dirty road slush. A handwave from across the street caught his attention, drawing his eyes to Connor waiting by the door of the bar. His coat was pulled tightly around him as he hid his face beneath a navy blue scarf.

Gavin didn’t wait for Tina and Leo, leaving them to their friendly banter as he crossed to Connor’s side. “Sup Sabrina.”

“You really need to come up with better nicknames,” Connor chided, the corners of his eyes crinkling while his smile was mostly hidden beneath his scarf. “It doesn’t really have the right impact if you keep reusing it.”

“Fuck you,” Gavin huffed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Surprised you accepted Tina’s invitation. This really isn’t your sort of scene.”

Connor’s smile fell away and he glanced down briefly to his dress shoes. Clearing his throat, the warlock glanced quickly over his shoulder before turning his attention to Gavin. “I wanted to talk to you in person and it couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

Gavin ignored Tina and Leo as they crossed the street, brows knitting as he met Connor’s eyes. “You could have just called me? You know I always have my phone on me.”

“I don’t trust the security of a phone call,” Connor said with a shrug, shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot. “I… Come inside and we’ll explain the situation.”

“We?” Gavin’s stomach rolled as Connor turned on his heel and opened the door, holding it open for the small group. Stepping through the door into the small, seedy bar, Gavin barely relished in the warmth of the bar as he narrowed his gaze at a particular occupant.

Cold anger filled him as he glared at the man standing at the far end of the bar. Nines looked utterly out of place in such an establishment, clothing more expensive than any amount Gavin might earn in a month. The fitted turtleneck of his sweater emphasized the broad, yet lanky form of the witch, real leather trench coat folded at the crook an arm.His dress shoes were even nicer and shinier than Connor’s.

He nursed a glass of wine in his hand, nine-pointed star exposed on his pale skin. The matching brand on Gavin’s own hand tingled at the proximity.

Nines flinched as he met Gavin eyes, shame furrowing his brow as he was assaulted by the onslaught of emotion that battled across their bond. Anger and hurt painted the walls of the bar in red and violet. The pale yellow of Nines’ regret was a faint line in the ocean of Gavin’s fury.

Tina’s low whistle of appreciation at the back of the group went ignored by the pair.

“Hello, Gavin.”

The glass shattered in Nines’ hand, soaking dark wine into the fabric of Nines’ slacks. Irritation bubbled across their bond, as Nines glared down at a cut on his palm and the condition of his pants.

Gavin hoped it stained.

A groan behind him parted the sea of Gavin’s anger, drawing his attention to Leo as he visibly sagged. The sound of a barstool pushing away from the bar squeaked against the tile floor. Glancing back to where Nines stood, a man emerged from behind him.

Clad in a long, pale jacket over an athletic jumper stood the boy he’d met in the past, albeit a decade-and-a-half older. That same calm smile pulled across Markus face, crinkling his mismatched eyes.

“Hey Leo,” Markus called, shoving his hands into his pockets. Nines stared at Gavin, unbothered as Markus moved around him to approach the group at the door. Gavin’s anger began to peak into curiosity, mind going back to the Nines’ project that Connor had been reluctant to discuss.

How did they know eachother?

Gavin could feel Leo bristling at his shoulder, glaring at his younger brother with a purse of his lips. Tina, as the only human of the group and only one without a clue about what the fuck was going on, shifted awkwardly where she stood.

Markus’ smile only grew as he came to a stop in front of Gavin, looking at each of them in turn. Leo only tensed further when his brother’s gaze settled on him.

“Glad to see you’re still alive. We need to talk about dad.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this made up for abandoning Looking Glass. Please tell me what you think of the new version in the comments below! Every comment and kudo is appreciated!
> 
> Thank you for reading and sticking with me!
> 
> Now, cracking knuckles, on to Daydreamer...


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